Switch latch



. magma H. K.'ANSINGH.

SWITCH- LATCH; APPLICATION FILEDv MAR. 23, 1920- Pmm om., 3193922;

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HEHXVEN KKMBALL ANSINGJEI, 0F MURRAZSVILL, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 `WESTINGHOUSE ELEGTRIC @t MANUFATURNG CUEEIPANY, .di GOJEJPORATEUN F PENNSYLVANM SWETCH LATCH.

application led :March 23, 1920. serial No. 367,994.

To all wmm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN KIMBALL ANSINGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Murraysville, in the county ot a Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switch Latches, of which the tol! lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches 1e and particularly to latching means' tor switches of the kind ordinarily known as disconnecting switches.

@ne object of m invention is to provide a 'device of the a ove indicated character that may be readily applied to a switch and that shall be capable of a certain rocking movement thereon toensure e'ective cooperation with the movable member of the switch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a latching device for a disconnecting switch that shall be simple and durable in construction and economical to manufacture.

ln practicing my invention, l provide a latching device comprising rearwardly-extending jaws forming an opening througlh which a terminal member, mounted on t e jaw member of the switch, loosely extends t@ to form a pivot. rlhe front part of the latch member is adapted -to embrace the upfper part of the switch blade member which 1s provided with anopening for the reception of an operating rod or hook. The projecting `front portion of the latch member is bevelled so that, when thev blade member is moved from its open to its closed position, it will lift the latch member, thus, rocking the latter on the rear terminal member and ce ermitting the blade member to be moved to its closed position. After the operating hook iswithdrawn from the opening in the blade member, the latch member will fall over and lock the blade member in position. e5 ln order that the latch member may be lifted for the purpose of releasing the blade member, when it is desired to open the switch, the sides of the latch member are arranged to only partially cover the opening te in the blade member so that the operating' hook, when pushed into the opening in the blade member, will raise the latch member sufficiently to release the blade member.

ln the accompanying' drawings, Fi 1 is te a side elevational View, showing the reakjaw members and the upper part of the blade member of a disconnecting switch provided with an automatic latch device constructed in accordance with my invention; F ig- 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a modified form of my improved latch device for use in connection with a horizontally disposed switch, and Fig. 4; is an end view of the device shown in Fi 3.

As shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2, terminal jaw members 1, of a disconnecting switch, are adapted to receive the tree end of a blade member 2 of the'switch. The jaw members 1 are provided with an upwardly pro'ecting terminal member 3 to which a con ucting lead (not shown) may be connected. A

portion t of the blade member-,which projects above the jaw members when the switch is closed, is rovided with an opening 5 through whic a hook at the end of a rod or pole (not shown) is passed when it is desired to open or close the switch.

A latch member 6, preferably constructed of metal, is provided with rearwardly and inwardly-extending jaw portions 7 to form an opening 8 in which the terminal member 3 is loosely dis osed. rl`he upper edge of a transverse partition 9 of the member 6, adjacent the opening 8, is chamfered to permit the member 6 to tilt upI and down on Athe terminal member 3. rlhe front part of that, as the blade member is moved to position between the jaw members 1, the edge thereof will engage the bevelled portion and lift the latch member suii'iciently-to enable the blade member to pass between the jaws, whereupon, the latch member falls back into the position shown and locks the blade in' place. L te@ rllhe latch member iS provided with a notch 12, in each side, which is opposite, and partly covers, the opening 5 in the blade member when the latter is locked in position. After the latch member 6 has been slightly telt lifted, by forcing the operating hook into the opening 5, a further sli ht movement or the blade member towards its opening'position will cause the latch member to be further lifted byenga'gement ofthe hook-with me an inclined art 13 of the notch 12, so that it assumes t e position, as shown in dotted lines in Fi 1, in which the blade member may be pul ed away from the jaw members to break the circuit.

An application of my improved form of latch device Vto a horizontally-disposed switch is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in lwhich a spring 14 is connected, at one end, to a screw 15on the jaw members 1, and, at the other end, to a bar or bridge member 16 secured to, or formed integrally with, thelatch member 6. The spri 14 tends to retain the latch member 6 in its latching osition.

While I have shown and describe particular forms of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in .the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a knife-blade switch, of a latch device therefor com rising a latch member having a recess by w ich it entirely surrounds the blade member, the said device loosely engaging a fixed portion of the switch.

2. The combination with a knife-blade switch, of a latch device therefor comprising a latch member formed and positioned to entirely surround the free end of the blade member and means for loosely supporting the latch device from a fixed portion of the switch. 3. The combination with a knife-blade lswitch, of. a latch device therefor compris` lng a stationary holding member extending su stantially in the direction of the blade member in the closed position of the switch,

' and a latch device loosely mounted on said ,to engage, a rejection adjacent to the stationary mem r, and a latch device com prising a member loosely mounted .for free rocking movement and adapted tol engage the said projection and the end of the arm to releasably maintain them in engagement.

.5. In an electric switch, the combination with 'a pivoted switch arm and a co-operatin contact member for the free end of sald arm, of a latching device comprising a member projecting from said contact member and a latch member loosely mounted on said projecting member for rocking relation thereto and holding co-operation with the switch arm.

6. The combination with a knife-blade switch, of a latchA device therefor comprising a latch member having an o ening at its forward end and an opening ormed by rearwardly-extending jaws, and a member projecting loosely through said rear opening and constituting a pivot for the latch member, said forward Aopening automatically receiving the end of the blade member during the closing of the switch.

Y 7. In a switch, the combination with a stationary contact member and a knifeblade `member having an opening adjacent to its free end, of a latch device therefor comlprising a stationary holding member and a latch member having an opening at its forward end to receive the free end of the blade member and an opening formed by rearwardly-extending jaws by which the latch loosely embraces said holding member,

said latch member also having means by which the blade member is released when an operating hook is placed in the opening in the blade member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of March 1920. HERMAN KIMBALL ANSINGH. 

